RATM unplugged at the RNC protest

Yesterday we played a show on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol in opposition of the Republican National Convention. Before our set we had planned with Rage Against The Machine to have them come onto stage directly after our set and play a set of their own on our equipment. As is often the case at such events, all was proceeding peacefully and without confrontation until the police got involved. As RATM made their way to the stage, without reason or prior notification the police surrounded the band and informed them that they would be arrested if any of them set foot on the stage. As the crowd chanted, “Let them play…” a plan was formulated. Rather than bow to police oppression and law enforcement’s blatant disregard for free speech and the Constitution, it was decided that RATM would walk around the stage into the audience and issue a statement. From there things took on a life of their own…

I was there and it was an incredible thing. Unfortuantely this video misses the equally incredible stuff that happened next. The video cuts off right before the band marched off to their left over to Cedar Avenue and the crowd surged behind them, merging in seamlessly to the Poor People’s March that happened to be rounding the corner after a 4-mile march through St Paul. People in the Poor People’s March saw the crowd surge toward them to join in and were asking ‘what happened?’ and some where amazed and bummed out that they had just missed an unannounced free RATM (acapello) performance! The concert crowd at least doubled the size of the march and reenergized it as it then surged down Cedar Ave through St Paul to the heinous double-fence outside the Xcel Center, where the Republicans were meeting.